EPSON ® Stylus Photo 1200 Printer Basics
EPSON Ink Jet Papers Use EPSON’s paper and inks to get the same photo quality results that have earned your printer all of its awards! EPSON’s papers are specially coated to work with EPSON’s quick drying inks. You’ll notice that when prints come out of your printer, you can immediately handle them. There is no drying time, no smearing or smudging, and your image is clean and smooth.
Contents WELCOME! About Your Software Your Bonus Software Applications About Your Documentation Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips Windows System Requirements Macintosh System Requirements ENERGY STAR Compliance Year 2000 Ready Printer Parts Important Safety Instructions Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 EPSON DIGITAL PHOTOLAB PRO Navigating Through EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro 9 10 VIEWING YOUR ELECTRONIC PRINTER MANUAL Opening Your Electronic Manual Navigating an Electronic Manu
ii Using EPSON Special Papers Photo Paper (4 × 6-inch) Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper Photo Quality Glossy Film Envelopes Photo Paper (13 in × 32.
Problems and Solutions Problems Setting Up the Printer or Installing Its Software Problems Getting Good Print Quality Uninstalling Printer Software Where To Get Help EPSON Technical Support Bonus Software Technical Support 40 40 42 45 46 46 48 USING PRINTER SOFTWARE DISKETTES Ordering Printer Software Diskettes Installing Printer Software from Diskettes Installing Windows Software 49 49 50 50 Installing Macintosh Software 51 CONFIGURING FOR A WINDOWS NETWORK Setting Up the Host System Setting Up Clien
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Welcome! Your EPSON Stylus® Photo 1200 printer is the ideal large format output device for digital photographs, full-color graphics, layout proofs, and more. You can print anything from reports and resumes to panoramic photos and banners with fabulous results.
If you haven’t yet installed the printer software from your CD-ROM, see the Start Here card for instructions. Your Bonus Software Applications Your printer software CD-ROM contains these bonus software applications that you can install from EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro: Adobe® Photoshop® 5.0 LE, a world-standard image editing program that lets you create, retouch, and enhance digital images for virtually any medium—from the printer to the World Wide Web.
About Your Documentation To set up your printer and install its software, see the Start Here card. This book contains instructions on: ■ Using the EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro ■ Viewing your electronic manual ■ Printing with Windows or Macintosh ■ Maintaining the printer ■ Solving basic problems ■ Installing printer software from diskettes, if necessary ■ Configuring your printer for use on a Windows network For more details about your printer, see the electronic EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 Manual.
Windows System Requirements To use your printer and its software with a PC, your system should have: ■ An IBM® compatible PC with at least a 486/25 MHz (for Windows 95 or Windows NT® 4.0), or 486/66 MHz (for Windows 98) processor (Pentium® 100 MHz or faster recommended) ■ Microsoft® Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 ■ At least 16MB of RAM (32MB for Windows 95 or 98 or 64MB for Windows NT 4.
Macintosh System Requirements To use your printer and its software with a Macintosh, your system should have: ■ One of the following Macintosh models: LC475, LC575, LC630 Quadra series Centris series PowerBook® series (190, 520, 540, 550, or later) PowerBook Duo 280, 2300c/100 Performa® 475, 575, 588, 630, 5210 or later Power Macintosh® series iMac™ series (for USB connection only) Power Macintosh G3 (for USB connection only) ■ For serial connection: System 7.1 or later (7.
ENERGY STAR Compliance As an ENERGY STAR Partner, EPSON has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency. The EPA ENERGY STAR Office Equipment program is a voluntary partnership with the computer and office equipment industry to promote the introduction of energy-efficient personal computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers in an effort to reduce air pollution caused by power generation. Year 2000 Ready Your EPSON printer is Year 2000 Ready.
Important Safety Instructions Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure you use the printer safely and effectively: ■ Turn off and unplug the printer before cleaning. Clean with a damp cloth only. Do not spill liquid on the printer. Always turn the printer off using the P power button. Don’t switch off the power strip or unplug the printer until the P power light is off. ■ Do not place the printer on an unstable surface or near a radiator or heating vent.
■ Unplug the printer and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: If the power cord or plug is damaged; if liquid has entered the printer; if the printer has been dropped or the case damaged; if the printer does not operate normally or exhibits a distinct change in performance. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions.
EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro We’ve packed lots of fun and informative software with your printer. EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro contains a collection of photo-editing, enlargement, and color correcting software. Install any one or all of them, depending on your preferences and the space available on your computer.
Navigating Through EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro In the main menu, you can select from the following: ■ INSTALL BONUS SOFTWARE contains a collection of award-winning creative software; see the list on page 2. Follow the instructions on screen to install the programs. For more information, see the program’s online help utility or electronic manual. ■ PHOTO WORKSHOP offers cool project ideas and fun photo products.
Viewing Your Electronic Printer Manual Here are some quick guidelines for viewing your electronic printer manual using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Your bonus software may also include electronic manuals; check their program folders or Help menu options to locate these manuals. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0, you can install the program from the CD-ROM when you install your printer software, as described on the Start Here card (Windows only). With a Macintosh, select the Acrobat Reader 3.
Navigating an Electronic Manual When you open an electronic manual, you’ll see this toolbar at the top: show bookmarks first page previous page last page next page There are several ways to navigate through electronic manuals: ■ Click on hot topics, which are usually underlined or displayed in a different color. To find out if a topic is hot, move your cursor over it. If the cursor turns into a pointing hand, the topic is hot—you can jump to it by clicking once.
Printing from Start to Finish Here’s what you do to print a basic document—such as a memo, newsletter, or photograph—from loading the paper to selecting print settings to controlling print jobs.
3. Open a Windows application program and select a document to print. 4. Open the File menu and click Print. You see a Print dialog box, such as this: Make sure your printer is selected here If you see a Properties button, click it If you see Setup, Printer, or Options, click that button instead; then click Properties on the next screen 5. Make sure EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 is selected. 6. If your application’s Print dialog box contains a Properties button, click Properties and go to step 7.
8. Check the following settings: ■ Make sure the Media Type is set to Plain paper. (If you load a different type of paper, select the corresponding setting for it, as described on page 21. For instructions on loading special paper, see page 18.) ■ Make sure Ink is set to Color if you want to print in color. ■ Set the Mode option to Automatic. This is the easiest way to get good printing results for all kinds of documents, on all types of paper. ■ Move the Quality/Speed slider to the Quality setting.
Printing with a Macintosh 1. Make sure your printer and Macintosh are turned on. 2. Load a stack of plain paper and place it against the right edge guide. Then slide the left edge guide against the paper’s left edge, making sure the stack is lower than the arrow on the guide. Load paper only up to this arrow Slide paper against the right edge guide 3. Open a Macintosh application program and select a document to print. 4. Open the File menu and choose Page Setup (Document Setup in some applications).
6. Now open the File menu and choose Print. You see the main printer settings dialog box: Media Type setting Ink setting Automatic mode setting Quality/Speed slider 7. Check the following settings: ■ Make sure the Media Type is set to Plain Paper. (If you load a different type of paper, select the corresponding setting for it, as described on page 21. For instructions on loading special paper, see page 18.) ■ Make sure Ink is set to Color if you want to print in color.
Using EPSON Special Papers How can you get the best-looking photos, most vivid colors, and sharpest text? Always use EPSON’s special ink jet papers. To show you how much difference EPSON paper can make, we’ve included some free samples. Check out the EPSON Photo Quality Media Pack that came with your printer. Then follow the instructions below to print your favorite photos and documents on EPSON paper. You’ll also find instructions for printing on envelopes and Photo Paper on a roll.
Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper This low-cost paper makes all your printouts look their best. Load the paper only up to the arrow on the left edge guide and choose Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper as the Media Type setting in your printer software. Load paper only up to this arrow Photo Quality Glossy Film Use these sheets to print professional quality photographs. Load one sheet at a time with a support sheet beneath it for the best results. Position the cut corner as shown here.
Photo Paper (13 in × 32.8 ft roll) You can use Banner Photo Paper on a roll to print photographic banners, panoramas, and signs up to 44 inches long. Before loading the paper, cut it to the desired length of your image plus 2 inches to account for the necessary margins. Make sure the cut sheet is flat; if it curls, flatten it by following the instructions included in the paper package. Then remove the printer’s paper support and load one sheet at a time, printable side up.
Choosing the Right Settings for EPSON Papers Your printer automatically adjusts itself for the type of paper you select in your printer software. That’s why the Media Type setting is so important. It tells your printer what kind of paper you’re using and adjusts the ink coverage accordingly. Before you print, always check your Media Type setting. Here are the settings you should choose for your paper: For this paper . . . Select this Media Type setting . . .
Printing with Custom Settings Your EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 printer software includes convenient project type settings for specific types of documents or images—such as photographs, graphics, text, and drafts—and a variety of individual custom settings to fit your needs. When you use custom settings, you can choose to either: ■ Use custom project types, or ■ Customize your individual settings.
■ PhotoEnhance3 For printing images captured using a video camera, digital camera, or scanner. Automatically adjusts the contrast, saturation, and brightness and corrects overall under- or over-exposure of the original image. ■ Digital Camera For printing images captured using a scanner or digital camera. Corrects noise and other common flaws. ■ Text/Graph For printing graphics-intensive documents like presentations with charts and graphs. Intensifies colors and lightens the midtones and highlights.
Customizing Print Settings For maximum control over your project, you can customize your print settings and experiment with special effects and color management. You can even save your custom settings as a group so you can use them whenever you print a similar project. 1. Open an application and create your project. Then access the main printer settings dialog box as described on page 13 (Windows) or page 16 (Macintosh). 2. Select the correct Media Type setting for your paper and choose Color or Black Ink.
■ MicroWeave, High Speed, Flip Horizontal, and Finest Detail MicroWeave deters horizontal banding by printing in finer increments. High Speed enables bidirectional printing for fast output. Flip Horizontal creates a mirror image of your document for iron-on transfers. Finest Detail produces exceptionally sharp image edges, but slows down printing.
Preserving Photos on EPSON Photo Paper EPSON Photo Paper has been specially formulated to work with EPSON’s ink to create prints that last as long as traditional photographs when protected from light in photo albums or similar archival conditions. When you display your EPSON Photo Paper prints in picture frames or mounted on the wall, the paper provides extra UV (ultraviolet) light protection so your prints will last longer than prints on other ink jet photo papers.
Maintaining Your Printer These sections describe the most common maintenance procedures you’ll need to perform to keep your printer working well and to prepare it for moving: ■ “Cleaning the Print Head” below ■ “Replacing an Ink Cartridge” on page 30 ■ “Aligning the Print Head” on page 35 ■ “Cleaning the Printer” on page 35 ■ “Transporting the Printer” on page 36 For more details, see your electronic EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 Manual as described on page 11.
Using the Head Cleaning Utility 1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the B black and A color ink out lights are off. 2. Start an application and open a document. 3. Access the printer settings dialog box as described in “Printing with Windows” on page 13 or “Printing with a Macintosh” on page 16. 4. Click the Utility tab (Windows) or the Utility icon (Macintosh). You see the Utility menu. Head Cleaning utility 5. Click the Head Cleaning icon.
Using the Control Panel 1. Make sure the printer is turned on but not printing, and the B black and A color ink out lights are off. 2. Press the R cleaning button and hold it down for three seconds. Cleaning takes a little over a minute, during which the printer makes some noise and the P power light flashes. cleaning button Never turn off the printer while the P power light is flashing, unless the printer hasn’t moved or made noise for more than 5 minutes. 3.
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern Examine the nozzle check pattern you print. It should look something like this: Each staggered horizontal and straight vertical line should be complete, with no gaps in the dot pattern. If your printout looks okay, you’re done. If any dots are missing, as shown below, clean the print head again; see page 27 for instructions. missing dots Replacing an Ink Cartridge When the B black or A color ink out light flashes, the indicated cartridge is low on ink.
Removing and Installing Ink Cartridges You can replace a cartridge when the B black or A color ink out light is either flashing or on. If you perform these steps when both ink out lights are off, the printer cleans the print head, as described on page 27. If you need to replace an ink cartridge before the lights flash (because the ink is too old, for example), follow the instructions in “Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge” on page 33. 1.
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging. Remove the yellow tape 6. Remove only the yellow part of the tape seal on top as shown: Don’t pull off the blue portion or try to remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge. Black cartridge Color cartridge You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or you will permanently damage it. Do not remove the clear seal from the bottom of the cartridge; ink will leak out. 7.
Replacing an Outdated Ink Cartridge If an ink cartridge is more than six months old, you may need to replace it. How can you tell? You may notice that your printouts don’t look as good as they used to. If print quality doesn’t improve after cleaning and aligning the print head, you can replace one or both cartridges. Follow these steps to replace an ink cartridge before the B black or A color ink out light is flashing or on: 1.
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging. Remove the yellow tape 6. Remove only the yellow part of the tape seal on top as shown: Don’t pull off the blue portion or try to remove the clear seal underneath the cartridge. Black cartridge Color cartridge You must remove the yellow tape from the top of the cartridge or you will permanently damage it. Do not remove the clear seal from the bottom of the cartridge; ink will leak out. 7.
Aligning the Print Head If your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, you may need to align the print head. Your printer must be connected to a local port, not on a network, to use the Print Head Alignment utility. Follow these steps: 1. Make sure the printer is turned on and paper is loaded. Load paper that’s at least 8.27 inches (210 mm) wide. This prevents ink from spraying inside the printer and smudging your printouts.
4. Clean ink out of the printer’s interior with a soft, damp cloth. Don’t touch the gears inside the printer. Never use alcohol or thinner for cleaning; they can damage the printer components and case. Don’t use a hard or abrasive brush. Don’t get water on the printer components or spray lubricants or oils inside the printer.
Problem Solving This section gives you the basics for diagnosing and solving printer problems. ■ First see “Diagnosing Printer Problems” below to determine the problem’s cause. ■ Then see “Problems and Solutions” on page 40 for solutions to problems. It’s a good idea to check EPSON’s web site periodically for possible updates to your printer driver. Visit www.epson.com and check the section for your product to see if there is a new driver available for downloading to your computer.
Follow these guidelines when the control panel lights come on or flash: 38 P is on The P power light is on when the printer is on and ready to print. It flashes when the printer is receiving a print job or performing a maintenance operation, such as cleaning the print head. S flashes When the S paper out light flashes, paper is jammed in the printer. Turn off the printer and gently pull out all paper. Make sure none of the sheets are curled, creased, old, stuck together, or too thin.
Running a Printer Operation Check You can run a printer operation check to determine whether the problem comes from the printer or some other source. ■ If the results are satisfactory, the problem most likely lies in your software settings, the interface cable, or your computer. ■ If the check page does not print correctly, you may have a problem with your printer. See the suggestions in “Problems and Solutions” on page 40 for more information. 1. Make sure both the printer and computer are turned off.
Problems and Solutions Here are some basic troubleshooting tips if you have any problems: ■ Setting up your printer or installing software ■ Getting good print quality For more extensive information, check the online help in your printer software or see “Troubleshooting” in the electronic EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 Manual. If none of the suggested solutions solve your problem, see page 46 for help contact information.
Your printer icon doesn’t appear in the Chooser (Macintosh) . . . ■ Your Macintosh has extension conflicts. Disable Quick Draw GX in the Extensions Manager. Make sure EPSON Monitor3 and SP 1200 are enabled, and then restart your Macintosh. ■ You may have too many items in the Chooser. Delete or move any unused items and check the Chooser again. You want to verify your USB software installation on Windows 98 . . . Click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
Problems Getting Good Print Quality If you see horizontal banding . . . 42 If you see vertical banding . . . ■ Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. ■ Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. ■ Make sure the Media Type setting matches the paper you loaded. See page 20 for guidelines. ■ Run the Print Head Alignment utility. See page 35 for instructions. ■ Check the paper thickness lever.
If your printout contains incorrect characters . . . If your printout is blurry or smeared . . . ■ Make sure your paper isn’t damp or loaded face down (the printable side should be loaded face up). If it’s damp, reload a new stack of paper. ■ Use a support sheet with special media or try loading your media one sheet at a time. ■ Check the paper thickness lever position. If it’s in the + position, your printer is set for thicker paper or envelopes and your image may smear.
If your printout is faint or has gaps in the image . . . ■ Make sure the print head nozzles are not clogged. To clean the print head, see page 27. ■ Make sure your paper isn’t damaged, old, dirty, or loaded face down (the printable surface should be loaded face up). If it is, reload a new stack of paper with the printable side up. If your printout contains incorrect or missing colors . . . ■ Make sure the Ink setting is set to Color for color images. ■ Make sure the print head nozzles are clean.
Uninstalling Printer Software If you ever need to uninstall and reinstall your printer software, follow these steps. Uninstalling Windows Software 1. Click Start, point to Settings, then double-click the Control Panel icon. 2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. 3. Click EPSON Printer Software in the program list. 4. Click the Add/Remove button. Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall your software. 5. If Status Monitor 2 is installed, you need to uninstall it also.
4. Click the Remove button on the bottom of the screen. 5. Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall the printer software. Then restart your Macintosh. 6. To reinstall your software, see the Start Here card. Where To Get Help If you need help with your printer or its software, see the contact information in the next section. For help with any of the bonus applications on the EPSON CD-ROM, see “Bonus Software Technical Support” on page 48 for contact information.
Automated telephone services Service Access EPSON SoundAdviceSM For pre-recorded answers to commonly asked questions about EPSON products 24 hours a day, seven days a week, call (800) 922-8911. EPSON FaxAdviceTM Access EPSON’s technical information library by calling (800) 922-8911. You must provide a return fax number to use this service. EPSON Referral Service For the location of your nearest Authorized EPSON Reseller or Customer Care Center, call (800) 922-8911.
Bonus Software Technical Support For technical support on any of the creative applications on the EPSON CD-ROM, first check the Help menu or electronic manuals that came with the bonus software. If you still need help, contact the software manufacturer as described below. Contact method Altamira Group Genuine Fractals 2.0 Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE Trial Version Vivid Details Test Strip 2.
Using Printer Software Diskettes If your computer doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive, you can download or order printer software diskettes from EPSON, as described in the next section. Once you have your diskettes, follow the steps on page 50 to install the printer software from them. Only the printer driver and utilities are available on diskette. The EPSON Digital PhotoLab Pro and bonus software applications are available only on the CD-ROM that came with your printer.
Fax: Send the following information by fax to EPSON at (310) 782-5266: ■ Name and Company name Street address (no P.O. boxes please) City, State and ZIP code ■ Daytime telephone number ■ Payment method (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express) Card number and expiration date Be sure to sign your fax; it is required for the credit card purchase ■ Printer name (EPSON Stylus Photo 1200) ■ Operating system (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Macintosh).
5. Click Start, select Run, and type A:\Setup (where A is your diskette drive letter). Then click OK. 6. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software. Your printer software icons appear in the EPSON folder and your printer is set as the Windows default printer. 7. After you install the printer software, repeat steps 4 through 6 to install Status Monitor 2 from its diskettes. 8. Restart your system. 9. Now you can start to print. See “Printing with Windows” on page 13 for instructions.
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Configuring for a Windows Network If your computer is on a Windows 95 or Windows 98 network and you want other users to share the printer connected to it, you need to: ■ Set up the system connected to the printer (host system) so the printer can be shared ■ Define a path to the printer on each client computer Before following the steps here, make sure you’ve installed the printer software on all the computers that will use the printer. See the Start Here card for instructions.
Setting Up Client Systems 1. Click Start, point to Settings, and select Printers. 2. Right-click the EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 icon and choose Properties. 3. Click the Details tab. You see the following dialog box: Details tab Click Add Port, then specify the network path in the dialog box that appears 4. Click the Add Port button, then click Browse to specify the network path to the printer.
Index A E Accessories, 30, 47 Acrobat Reader, 11 to 12 Aligning print head, 35 Automatic mode, 15, 17 Economy settings, 23 to 24 ECP/DMA mode, 40 Electronic manuals, 11 to 12 ENERGY STAR compliance, 6 Envelopes, 19 EPSON Accessories, 30, 47 help, 46 to 47 papers, 18 to 21 B Background printing, 15, 17 Bonus software, 1 to 2, 9 to 10, 48 C Cleaning print head, 27 to 29 printer, 35 to 36 Color Adjustment mode, 25 ColorSync, 23, 25 Control panel, 29, 37 to 39 Custom settings, 22 to 25 F FCC statement, 59
I ICM (Image Color Matching) setting, 23, 25 Ink replacing cartridge, 30 to 32 replacing outdated cartridge, 33 to 34 setting, 15, 17 L Layout icon, 17 tab, 15 Lights, 37 to 39 M Macintosh printing with, 16 to 17 system requirements, 5 uninstalling software, 45 Maintenance, 27 to 36 Media Type setting, 15, 17, 21 MicroWeave setting, 25 N Network configuration, Windows, 53 to 54 Nozzle Check utility, 28 to 30 Paper thickness lever, 19 Parallel connection, 4 Photo Paper, 18, 26 Photo Quality Glossy Film,
Software bonus, 1 to 2, 9 to 10, 48 Digital PhotoLab Pro, 1 to 2, 9 to 10 diskettes, 49 to 51 printer, 1 to 2, 13 to 17, 45 problems, 40 to 41 uninstalling, 45 sRGB (standard Red Green Blue) setting, 23, 25 Support, 46 to 48 System requirements, 4 to 5 U USB connection, 4 to 5, 41 W Windows network configuration, 53 to 54 printing with, 13 to 15 system requirements, 4 uninstalling software, 45 World Wide Web, 46 T Testing printer, 39 Text setting, 23 Text/Graph setting, 23 Thickness lever, 19 Transportin
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FCC Compliance Statement For United States Users This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception.
Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION. The information contained herein is designed only for use with this EPSON printer. EPSON is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.
How to Order EPSON Ink and Paper To order EPSON ink cartridges or paper, contact your dealer or call EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). Or visit our web site at www.epsonsupplies.com (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 873-7766 for dealer referral.
